Cut-price supermarket giant Aldi have confirmed they are opening a new store in Hawick.

The German-based company - who have 9,000 outlets in 18 different countries- have identified a site at Wilton Mills in Commercial Road.

The plans will be revealed at a public exhibition in the Heart of Hawick building.

"We are very excited about the prospect of coming to Hawick. The Aldi brand is very popular with Borders customers and we look forward to meeting as many local people as possible on December 18 to explain what we have in store for Hawick."

Derek MacKay spent the morning walking around the town with local traders and Borders MSP Paul Wheelhouse. Credit: ITV Border

Derek MacKay, the Scottish Planning Minister, has been walking around Hawick with Borders MSP Paul Wheelhouse to discuss the state of the town's High Street.

Many shops on the High Street are empty and some businesses are struggling. Like many other towns across the south of Scotland and Cumbria, small independent shops are having to compete with large supermarkets.

Local MSP Paul Wheelhouse has praised the positive community spirit, but says that everyone has a duty to support the high street stores.

"A really important message is that people do have to support their local businesses. It's always difficult competing against big supermarkets due to convenience and the likes of easy and free parking. But we no have a duty to work with the local businesses and the Scottish Government to do something about this problem here in Hawick."

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The Scottish planning minister has been in Hawick today to discuss problems facing the town's High Street

Derek MacKay met with local MSP Paul Wheelhouse and traders to discuss the best way of improving what the town has to offer. Some locals say the situation is at crisis point, with so many High Street businesses closing.

The Scottish Planning Minister has been in Hawick to discuss the state of the town's High Street. Credit: ITV Border

The Scottish Planning Minister has been in Hawick to discuss the state of the town's High Street. Derek MacKay spent the morning walking around the town with local traders and Borders MSP Paul Wheelhouse.

Many shops on the High Street are currently empty and some businesses are at breaking point. There's also an immediate threat of some of the town's larger chain retailers also shutting up shop.

"So the solutions involved- community ownership, community leadership and regeneration. I think it also involves rate support to incentivise people to open up and stay in our town centres, and schemes that can improve the local environment aswell. So it's a mixture of government and community action, working very closely with the private sector who own, of course, most of the properties on the high street."

– Derek MacKay, Local Government and Planning Minister for Scotland

Local traders are worried about the amount of vacant properties on the high street, and think that the rates could be contributing to the problem.

"I agree with the small business rates relief but I think that everybody should contribute to that. Not just the shops that have large frontages or are on the main street, but every shop should contribute, including charity shops."

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